Briefly
by Jing Mei Chen
Summary: Think "boys on the side" meets "moonlight and valentino"


"Dearly beloved, we're gathered her on this sorrowful morning to bid farewell to someone you each held dear to your heart" the priest said non chantly,"Healer to hundreds..son to Trin and June, husband and lover to Jing Mei"  
  
  
Jing Mei turned and ran from the chapel,tears racing down her cheeks  
  
  
"rest in peace Dr.Gary Chen"  
********************************************  
Wake me up   
Slap my face   
Draw me closer in   
to your embrace   
  
Cause nobody wants to be the butt of every joke   
Nobody wants to be the one to pull the rope   
So you harden your shell...   
Slowly losing yourself  
********************************************  
  
She sat in the back of her parent's classic car,hands folded in front of her.Jing Mei's eyes looked lost and distant as they drove to the graveyard.  
  
" I can't show my face to those people!!I'm ashamed of you Jing Mei" her mother scolded,"Running from your own husband's funeral.Are you MAD??"   
  
  
Her father caught Jing Mei's eye in the rearview mirror,watching her sadly  
  
"I want to go home" Jing Mei said quietly  
  
"You passed the graveyard,Kim.It's no wonder Gary died!What kind of wife are you??" the old woman cried  
  
"I WANT TO GO HOME!" Jing Mei screamed,"Please!" she choked down a loud sob,"Just take me home so I can get it over with..."  
  
"Get what over with??If you kill yourself..."her mother threatened  
  
Jing Mei caught her father's eye,"So I can just go home and get used to walking into an empty house"  
************************************************  
**** One year later****  
  
"I think it's a good idea" Cleo slowly brought the tray of coffee mugs from the warm house out onto Jing Mei's porch where the women sat  
  
"Oohh waitress!"Abby teased  
  
"Why??" Kerry kept stirring her coffee anxiously  
  
Jing Mei shrugged,"Because I've got all this space and I could use the money.."  
  
  
"Renting rooms out,especially being a woman,by yourself, is dangerous"Kerry blew on the coffee before taking a sip  
  
"But if anyone's capable of protecting herself,it's Jing mei"Abby called out  
  
The two other women nodded  
  
"She's got a point" Cleo rested her head on Jing Mei's shoulder,"Here's to change and moving on!!"  
  
"To change!!" the other two women cried  
  
Jing Mei gave a small unassured smile  
*******************************************************  
And now I'm close, but not touching   
And I'm cold, but not freezing   
And I'm only alive...only alive   
Briefly   
  
Can you feel   
Could you love   
Are you further now from where you started   
I bet you do enough just to get by,   
dontcha?   
  
********************************************************  
"You okay Kerry??" abby handed out quilts,"You seem..."  
  
"On edge" Cleo answered  
  
She took a deep breath,"I'm waiting for these test results.."  
  
"Kerry??" Jing Mei brushed her shoulder lightly before standing up to turn on the porch light  
  
"The doctor's think" Kerry cleared her throat ,"I can't believe I'm telling you guys this..The doctor's think I have breast cancer"  
  
None of the women made a sound  
  
"I could be dying"  
********************************************************  
"I got the divorce papers" Cleo said quietly  
  
Abby reached out and held Cleo's hand  
  
"I haven't given them to Peter yet" she shook under the quilt,"I'm afarid to"  
  
Kerry took a deep breath,"Afarid of what??"  
  
"Being alone" Cleo smiled sadly at Jing Mei,"I'm afarid of being by myself"  
  
She stood up and walked inside  
  
"JING MEI!" abby ran after her  
*********************************************************  
Cause nobody wants to be the butt of every joke   
Nobody wants to be the one who's full of hope   
And a cop's light goes by   
And the moon lights the night   
  
And now I'm close, but not touching   
And I'm cold, but not freezing   
And I'm only alive....only alive   
briefly...   
********************************************************  
  
"Am I supposed to understand and feel compassionate towards her??" Jing Mei took the mugs from Abby with shaky hands  
  
"Jing Mei.."Abby said softly,sitting herself on the counter  
  
She picked up a mug and threw it against the wall,"SHE KNOWS WHY HE LEFT!!SHE KNOWS WHERE HE IS!"  
  
"DEB!"Abby screamed back,"You know where Gary is!!"  
  
She picked up the remaining mugs and threw them one by one at the wall  
  
"Stop it ,PLEASE jing mei!" Abby sobbed  
  
"Jing Mei??" Cleo stood in the doorway with Kerry  
  
Jing Mei slid against the wall,sobbing into her hands  
  
"I'm sorry" Cleo started to cry,"I was selfish,an asshole.I shouldn't expect you to understand.I am hurting though"  
  
"What about you Abby??" Kerry sighed,"You're the only one who hasn't cried tonight"  
**************************************************************  
And the starlight that shines   
For a moment in time...   
in time...   
in time...   
  
  
  



End file.
